Heaven's Net Is Wide

CHARACTERS

The Clans

THE OTORI

Otori Shigeru: heir to the Otori clan

Otori Takeshi: his younger brother

Otori Shigemori: his father, lord of the clan

Otori Masako: his mother

Otori Shoichi: his uncle

Otori Masahiro: his uncle

Otori Ichiro: Shigeru’s teacher

Chiyo: head maid of Lady Otori’s household

Otori Eijiro: head of a branch family

Otori Eriko: his wife

Otori Danjo: his son

Harada: one of Shigeru’s retainers

Komori: a Chigawa man, “the Underground Emperor”

Haruna: owner of the House of the Camellias

Akane: a famous courtesan, daughter of the stonemason

Hayato: her lover

Yanagi Moe: Shigeru’s wife

Mori Yusuke: the Otori horsebreaker

Mori Yuta: his oldest son

Mori Kiyoshige: his second son, Shigeru’s best friend

Mori Hiroki: his third son, who becomes a priest

Miyoshi Satoru: an elder of the clan

Miyoshi Kahei: his older son, Takeshi’s friend

Miyoshi Gemba: his younger son

Irie Masahide: the sword instructor to the Otori boys

Kitano Tadakazu: lord of Tsuwano, an Otori vassal

Kitano Tadao: his oldest son

Kitano Masaji: his second son

Noguchi Masayoshi: an Otori vassal

Nagai Tadayoshi: the senior retainer at Yamagata

Endo Chikara: the senior retainer at Hagi

Terada Fumimasa: head of the Hagi fishing fleet

Terada Fumio: his son

Matsuda Shingen: a former warrior, now a priest, later the Abbot of Terayama

THE SEISHUU

Maruyama Naomi: head of the Maruyama clan

Maruyama Mariko: her daughter

Sugita Sachie: her companion, Otori Eriko’s sister

Sugita Haruki: senior retainer to the Maruyama, Sachie’s brother

Arai Daiichi: heir to the Arai clan at Kumamoto

THE TOHAN

Iida Sadayoshi: lord of the Tohan clan

Iida Sadamu: his son, heir to the clan

Miura Naomichi: a Tohan sword instructor

Inaba Atsushi: his retainer

The Tribe

Muto Shizuka: Arai’s mistress

Muto Zenko:

Muto Taku: their sons

Muto Kenji: Shizuka’s uncle, head of the Muto family, friend to Shigeru

Muto Seiko: his wife

Muto Yuki: his daughter

Kikuta Kotaro: Shizuka’s uncle, head of the Kikuta family

Kikuta Isamu: his cousin, one of the Tribe

Bunta: a groom

The Hidden

Sara: Isamu’s wife

Tomasu: their son

Shimon: Sara’s second husband

Maruta: their older daughter

Madaren: their younger daughter

Nesutoro: an itinerant priest

Mari: his niece

Horses

Karasu: Shigeru’s black

Kamome: Kiyoshige’s black-maned gray

Raku: Takeshi’s black-maned gray

Kyu: Shigeru’s second black

Kuri: a very clever bay